Justice Secretary Leila De Lima defended President Benigno Aquino III against mounting criticisms of the public over the Mamasapano incident.
De Lima said that it was “unfair” to judge the President’s actions regarding the Mamasapano encounter when the investigation did not even get “his side of the story.”
The Philippine National Police-Board of inquiry (PNP-BOI) and the Senate Joint Committee findings concluded that President Aquino allowed former PNP chief Alan Purisima to be involved in the Mamasapano mission despite his suspension and that the President had bypassed the chain of command when he dealt directly with the former Special Action Force (SAF) chief Getulio Napeñas regarding Oplan Exodus.
The PNP-BOI was unable to personally speak with the President regarding the Mamasapano probe and had only relied on the President’s statements in the media in his previous speeches. The BOI members had relayed their intention to interview the President to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, but Roxas apparently forgot to forward the request to the President.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee’s draft report signed by 20 senators also put the blame on the President. According to the draft report, President Aquino was ultimately responsible for the outcome of the Mamasapano mission.
De Lima stressed that the two reports that were submitted should not be used as basis to judge the President because it did not include what the President knew regarding the incident.
“Unfair yan na ganyan ang paghuhusga sa kanya on the basis of those reports and those findings dahil hindi naman kumpleto dahil hindi naman natanong ang pangulo. Our President, this President, especially, is a very responsible person and he has the interest of our country at heart,” the justice chief said.